Neighbor rescues baby from Brooklyn Park fire

father severely burned

Woman heard fire alarm and rescued 11-month old

22-year-old being treated at Bayview

May 27, 2010|By Liz F. Kay, The Baltimore Sun

A 22-year-old man was treated for severe burns after a townhouse fire in Brooklyn Park on Wednesday afternoon, but a neighbor rescued his 11-month-old daughter, an Anne Arundel County fire spokesman said.

Firefighters responded to the 5200 block of Patrick Henry Drive at 6:32 p.m. for reports of a fire, said the spokesman, Battalion Chief Steve Thompson.

Before they arrived, a neighbor who was washing her car across the street from the burning house heard a smoke alarm go off and went inside, Thompson said.

She found the baby lying on the floor and carried her out to another neighbor, whom she instructed to call 911, he said.

The neighbor went back inside twice to look for other residents, Thompson said. The father, who did not know that the baby had been rescued, was taken to the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center burn unit for treatment.

The baby was taken to Johns Hopkins' pediatric unit for observation, the spokesman said.

The incident shows how smoke detectors can save lives, Thompson said — although he doesn't advocate that anyone enter burning buildings. "She went above and beyond to effect the rescue," he said.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire, which was brought under control at about 6:50 p.m., he said.